


Fake Dates and Summer Nights

by youwishpreppy



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-08-20 16:07:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20230612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youwishpreppy/pseuds/youwishpreppy
Summary: Kevin's ex won't leave him alone, and so some drastic measures are needed. To have some peace again, Kevin decides to fake-date Riverdale High's bad boy Joaquin DeSantos. But maybe pretending to be someone's boyfriend isn't as easy as Kevin thought it would be.





	1. Please fake-date me

It had been almost a month since Kevin broke up with Moose, but his ex still didn't let things go. He popped up wherever Kevin was: in school, after Wrestling practice, at Pop's, even when Kevin was grocery shopping.  
  
Of course, Kevin confronted Moose about it and told him that it was getting on his nerves. But Moose still didn't get the message and just claimed that he still believed there was something between them and that they would get back together.  
  
"I won't give up, Kev. We belong together, and I'm sure you'll realize that too."  
  
Kevin didn't know what to do anymore. Sure, he tried to ignore Moose, but the thought alone that the Bulldog was always around, managed to make Kevin's skin crawl. But there was no solution to his problem, he guessed, and so the only thing he could do was complaining about his clingy ex to Betty, who was the only one who still listened to him when it came to that topic.  
  
"He's standing right over there. It drives me crazy! He isn't even trying to act like he's doing homework. He just winked at me! Can you believe that!? That's it. I am going over!"  
  
Betty's hand on his arm stopped him, and she whispered to Kevin,  
  
"Sit down. It'll only cause a scene, and he won't learn anything from it. You have tried everything, Kev. I think it's time for a change of plans, we need more drastic measures now."  
  
Kevin sat back down and leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed and looked at her with a frown,  
  
"And what do you have in mind?"  
  
"Maybe he will stop once you have a new boyfriend."  
  
Kevin raised an eyebrow thoughtfully for a moment and then nodded,  
  
"Yeah, maybe. But there is no one who I could date. I mean Fangs is bi, but I am not interested in him. What kind of name is Fangs anyway!? And then there is Joaquin. He is gay, he is hot, but a bit too bad boy for me. Nah, they aren't boyfriend material."

He checked off the potential candidates, holding up two fingers and now slowly let his hand sink again when he couldn't think of anyone else.

"But what if you didn't really date them, Kev? Just make it look like you are?"  
  
"You mean like fake-dating so Moose will leave me alone?"  
  
Betty grinned at him and nodded. It was actually a good plan, Kevin had to admit, maybe a bit over the top, but it sounded effective, and the end justified the means.  
  
"Sounds like something out of a teenage drama show. But hey I'm all about that. I think it's not a bad idea. Thanks, Betty!"  
  
And that was how the idea was born. Kevin went home with a smile on his face, not even bothered that Moose was incidentally loitering around in front of the school, watching the door, until he saw Kevin and then trailing behind him until Kevin reached his street.  
  
Kevin did his homework and then finally had time to think it through. Fangs or Joaquin? Joaquin was the better choice, he decided. Fangs seemed to be looking a lot at Midge the past few weeks, so he probably wouldn't be willing to agree to something like that. But Joaquin hadn't shown any interest in anyone lately, so maybe he was game.  
  
Kevin did a quick check and looked through Joaquin's Instagram account and what he saw looked promising. No signs of any crushes, just some pictures of Joaquin alone or with his Serpents and all the comments were just some playful banter among friends.  
  
And of course, Joaquin looked good, very good. Kevin smiled as he looked at a picture in which Joaquin was looking directly into the camera with a big smile on his handsome face. He would be perfect for making Moose see that he didn't stand a chance with Kevin anymore.  
  
"Ok, Mr. DeSantos, you will be my new boyfriend!"  
  
Kevin said to his room and chuckled. It was crazy he knew that, but he liked the plan, and it seemed like fun. Also, fake-dating Joaquin wouldn't be bad at all, Joaquin was hot after all. So Kevin definitely wouldn't have a problem with getting closer to the Serpent.  
  
Kevin didn't wait long to set his plan into motion. On the next day, he followed Joaquin to where he had his motorcycle parked in front of the school. Kevin caught up to the Serpent when he was just about to get on his bike.  
  
"Hey, Joaquin, can I talk to you for a moment?"  
  
Joaquin stopped and turned around, looking at Kevin in surprise. His gaze was wandering up and down Kevin's body with a raised eyebrow before he smirked at him,  
  
"Yeah, sure. What is it?"  
  
He leaned against his motorcycle and watched Kevin expectantly, that lazy smirk still on his face, making Kevin feel a bit nervous. This was a gang member after all. Kevin had seen that big ass Serpent tattoo on Joaquin's arm. And he knew all about those rumors about the blue-eyed Serpent, who had a scar on his back where a Ghoulie had tried to kill him once. But the rumors also said that the Ghoulie had a matching scar on his chest, where Joaquin had stabbed him during their fight.  
  
Kevin shivered slightly. The Serpents scared him a bit, but he couldn't be picky now, and so he told himself silently to get a grip and proceeded to smile brightly at Joaquin.  
  
"This might sound strange, but I'm in a bit of trouble, and I could really use your help. Moose and I broke up, or I broke up with him. But he won't accept that it's over and keeps on stalking me."  
  
Joaquin's eyebrows shot up even further. His voice took on a note of panic as he interrupted,  
  
"Are you asking me to get rid of him? I don't do stuff like that... I don't know what you heard about me or the Serpents, but I won't murder your ex. I mean, I can beat him up and scare him a bit, if you like. But you have to make sure that I won't get into trouble with your dad, the sheriff. I don't want to get sent to juvie."  
  
His voice had lowered until it was only a whisper and he was looking around the parking lot nervously as if he was expecting this to be a trap. Kevin blinked at him several times, mouth opening and closing, too shocked to speak before he was finally able to answer,  
  
"No! Oh my god! No that's not what I meant!"  
  
He hadn't even thought about that option before, and now he wondered if that would maybe be more normal than wanting to ask someone to fake-date him. He had involuntarily taken a step back when hearing the words "get rid" and "murder", but at least Joaquin had clarified that he wouldn't kill anyone, so Kevin relaxed a bit.  
  
"No violence. And if I wanted him to get beaten up, I could do it myself..."  
  
"Then what do you want me to do?"  
  
Joaquin was looking at Kevin in confusion.  
  
"Well...I thought that maybe he'll leave me alone once he sees me dating someone new. And that's where you come in."  
  
Joaquin just continued to stare at him, and Kevin was about to call off the plan and leave, convinced that he had made a complete fool out of himself. But then Joaquin chuckled softly and finally said:  
  
"You want me to fake-date you, Preppy? Oh boy. I certainly didn't see that coming. But it's a fun idea, I guess."  
  
He shrugged and his eyes were sparkling with amusement, making him look much less menacing. Inwardly Kevin was doing a little victory dance. Joaquin had said it was a fun idea! That had to be a good sign!

"So you're willing to do this? It's kinda hard finding a gay or bi guy here. You were practically my only option."

"Yeah, sure, why not. I'm single. And maybe dating a Northsider will help me get more popular. We can both profit from it. When are we going to start dating?"

A big grin spread over Kevin's face while he hugged his school books to his chest. This had been much easier than he had expected.

"Well, what about right now? Moose is standing over there and watching us. That's the first step. Let's meet this afternoon to discuss things, ok? Can you come to my house at four? My dad is at work. We have enough time to plan everything."  
  
"Ok, sure. See you later, boyfriend!"  
  
Joaquin winked at him and got on his motorcycle, waving at Kevin before driving away. Kevin looked after him with a pleased grin. Joaquin hadn't put up a fight at all. It surprised Kevin, but he surely wouldn't question it.  
  
Their meeting in the afternoon was a bit awkward, both not knowing how to act around each other, but they managed to work out a plan. Kevin made them coffee and got some cookies and sat down with Joaquin at the kitchen table.  
  
"I thought that maybe we could start dating tomorrow. Moose already saw us talking today. Would it be ok with you if we met in front of the school and walked in together, holding hands?"

Joaquin was munching a cookie and nodded,

"Yeah sure that's fine with me. What about other stuff? Do we hug or kiss? How far are we going to go?"  
  
He looked at Kevin in all earnest with big blue eyes, and Kevin couldn't help but notice for the first time how unique those eyes were. They were mesmerizing in combination with Joaquin's dark hair and his slightly tanned skin. Kevin had definitely found a handsome fake boyfriend. And hearing Joaquin ask about what they were going to do, how affectionate they would be, made him actually look forward to their little scam.  
  
"We could just go with it, I guess and see what happens? Kissing seems a bit too much at the moment to be honest. But holding hands and hugging is definitely good."  
  
"Yeah, that's what I thought too. How did we start dating? What's our story?"  
  
"Well, we met at Pop's after school one day and talked some more in school... some secret meetings and boom! We were in love!"  
  
Joaquin laughed softly and nodded,  
  
"Sounds romantic, huh? Ok, I hope this works. Hey, your step-sister is dating Reggie, right?"  
  
"Yes, why?"

"Could she maybe help her step-brother's boyfriend get on the football team? Put in a good word for me when she's talking to Reggie?"

Joaquin bit his lip and looked to the side, seemingly a bit embarrassed by asking this of Kevin. Kevin thought it was actually a relief to see the tough Serpent like that. Joaquin's usual self-confidence could be a bit intimidating.

"Sure, I'll tell her. Usually, she knows what to do to get everything she wants from Reggie."  
  
"Great, thanks!"  
  
They smiled at each other, both satisfied. Kevin finished his coffee, and one look at the clock told him that it was still pretty early, and so he inquired:  
  
"Hey, what do you think about going on our first date? Make it more realistic. We should go to Pop's, just in case. People should see us together, and we could take some pictures."  
  
"Sure. You're pretty good at planning things, huh? It's all so well thought-out. I am impressed."  
  
"I can't tell whether you are making fun of me or not..."  
  
Joaquin's only answer was a smug smirk before he got up and carried his empty cup and plate over to the sink. Kevin sighed and followed him, and afterward, they grabbed their jackets and headed out to Pop's.  
  
The only other guests were two moms with their little kids, and so the "date" didn't last long. Kevin and Joaquin both sipped a milkshake and Kevin snapped some pictures of them together, his arm around Joaquin's shoulders and both smiling into the camera.  
  
Satisfied with the pictures, Kevin picked the best one and sent it to Joaquin before posting it on his Instagram account with the caption _"Milkshakes with bae."_  
  
Joaquin was looking at Kevin's phone screen and chuckled softly,  
  
"So I'm already your bae? Went pretty fast, huh?"

Kevin sighed dramatically and turned his head to look at Joaquin, 

"Oh shut up, everyone knows that I'm all in from the start when it comes to relationships."  
  
"Well, some call it all in, others might call it desperate as fuck."

Kevin gasped and slammed his hand onto the table.

"Will you stop? You are my bae, get used to it! Come on, let me see your caption!"  
  
"Mine?"  
  
"Yeah, you are going to post that picture too, sweetheart. Now!"  
  
Joaquin looked at him for a moment, but then he burst out laughing loudly, holding his stomach and shaking with laughter. It was endearing, Kevin had never seen the cool Serpent like that.  
  
He watched as Joaquin took out his phone and posted the picture of them together too, adding the caption _"At Pop's with Preppy"_ and behind that a black heart.  
  
"Happy now, Keller?"

Joaquin asked with that teasing smirk he had perfected, and that would probably drive Kevin insane one day during one of their future fake dates.

"Very happy. So is this going to be my official nickname? Preppy?"  
  
"It always was my official nickname for you, so yes."

The smirk grew even more maddening. Kevin wondered for a moment if the nickname had been something Joaquin and his Serpent friends had used to make fun of Kevin's admittedly very neat look, but he decided that he didn't want to know and so he just smiled.

"Ok. It's cute, I think. But also call me some real endearments ok? Baby or babe or.."  
  
"Darling, cutie pie, love of my life?"  
  
"Yeah, any of those will do."  
  
Joaquin laughed and got up, putting on his leather jacket and blowing a kiss to Kevin while winking at him,  
  
"I gotta go now, honey. See you tomorrow morning babe."  
  
Kevin waved at him weakly and looked after the retreating Serpent for a long time, wondering if he had just opened Pandora's box.


	2. Make it look real

Day one of the fake dating plan went pretty well. Kevin woke up to several comments and messages on his Instagram account, all asking the same thing: _"Are you two dating?"_

He just smiled to himself and ignored them for now. They would see soon enough...

Joaquin and Kevin walked into Riverdale High holding hands, and everybody who saw them stared and the whispers started immediately. By lunchtime, the gossip had already spread over the whole school, and everyone was watching Kevin closely. He could practically feel their eyes on him as he walked into the cafeteria and sat down at his table with Betty, Jughead, Veronica, and Archie.

"Kevin! Is it true what everyone is saying? You and Joaquin? Why didn't you tell me?? I looked at Instagram and saw you posting that picture at Pop's, and you didn't even respond to me! And now you walk into school holding hands?"  
  
Veronica exclaimed smacking his arm. Kevin was extremely pleased. His plan had worked, but he put on a smile and shrugged,  
  
"It's really new, and after the Moose disaster I was a bit reluctant to tell... but yeah it's true Ronnie. Joaquin and I met a few times in secret and yesterday we had our first official date at Pop's. What can I say? We talked, and just connected, I guess. Oh, there he is!"  
  
Kevin got up and waved at Joaquin who had just entered the cafeteria, signaling him to come over to their table too. All heads turned to watch the Serpent walk over to them with his trademark smirk on his handsome face.  
  
"Well, well well Kev. Definitely a step up from Moose. Your new boy is eye candy!"  
  
Veronica remarked good-naturedly as they watched Joaquin make his way over to them. He stopped in front of the table, ran a hand through his hair and smiled.  
  
"Hey everyone. Hey, Kevin."  
  
His voice turned a bit husky when he said Kevin's name, and it definitely sounded as if he had it really bad for his boyfriend. Kevin felt Veronica squeezing his knee beneath the table and chuckled slightly.  
  
"Hey babe, will you sit with us? I want to officially introduce you to my friends."  
  
He patted the chair next to him, and Joaquin nodded and sat down. Kevin smiled at him brightly while already grabbing the other boy's hand and interlacing their fingers on top of the table for everyone to see. He looked up again into his friend's faces who were now all staring at their intertwined hands.  
  
"So, this is Joaquin, as you all know of course... and we're dating!"  
  
He sounded as if he had just won the lottery, definitely very convincing. Kevin's gaze traveled over his friends to see their reaction. Veronica was beaming at Joaquin, Betty had a huge knowing grin on her face and winked at Kevin. Jughead looked from Kevin to Joaquin and back with a frown but said nothing and Archie smiled broadly,

"Welcome to our little group, Joaquin. I am happy for you guys! You're a cute couple!"

"_God bless pure soul Archie Andrews"_, Kevin thought and gave Archie a thankful smile in return.

They ate lunch together, going back to their usual routine of talking about school and sharing the latest gossip, but Kevin also made sure to include Joaquin. He touched him whenever he could, leaning against his shoulder, brushing a hand across his forearm..

Later on, Kevin and Joaquin made sure to do a bit more hand-holding while walking to their lockers. When Kevin spotted Moose across the hallway he quickly pulled Joaquin into a hug, whispering in his ear:  
  
"He's watching us, make it look real."  
  
Joaquin didn't need to be told twice. His arms were already wrapping around Kevin's waist, pulling him closer and hugging him tightly while he mumbled:  
  
"I think we're very convincing, don't worry your pretty head."  
  
He placed a little kiss on Kevin's cheek, and slowly pulled away again, smiling brightly at his fake boyfriend.  
  
"See you later, Preppy."  
  
And with one last cheeky wink, he turned around to walk to his next class, passing Moose on his way. The Bulldog was glaring at him and even took a step towards the Serpent. But he was stopped by Joaquin looking at him and asking loud enough for Kevin to hear,  
  
"Is there a problem, Mason?"  
  
Moose declined by shaking his head and leaning back against his locker, but he stared after Joaquin until the other boy had turned the corner. Then his head whipped around to look directly at Kevin.  
  
_"Oh, oh..."_  
  
was all Kevin could think before his ex stormed over to him, breathing heavily and looking complete outraged,  
  
"What is going on here, Kev?"  
  
Kevin gulped, but he decided to stay put and straighten his shoulders,  
  
"What do you mean? I was just talking to my boyfriend in between classes. I think that isn't against school rules, right?"  
  
Moose's eyes turned wide and he blinked several times, making Kevin think for a moment that his ex would start crying. But then Moose's anger came back and he glared at Kevin accusingly.  
  
"So it's true? You and... that... that snake? For real? You could do so much better. He is dangerous. Don't you know what the Southside Serpents are?"  
  
"Oh trust me, being the sheriff's son, makes me an insider on all things crime related in this town, so yes I know what the Serpents are. Do I care? No. Joaquin is a nice guy and very cute."  
  
Moose's hand darted forward and grabbed Kevin's wrist almost painfully.  
  
"He is trash! I am so much better for you! Why can't you see that we should get back together?"  
  
Kevin had had enough. He fixed Moose with a death glare and slowly let his gaze travel down to their hands, where Moose's nails were digging into Kevin's skin.  
  
"Take your hands off me."  
  
Moose's eyes widened in shock, and he quickly let go of Kevin, apparently only just realizing that he had been hurting him.  
  
"I.. I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."  
  
"Look, I don't want to deal with this anymore. I am not available. I have a new boyfriend, and I am very happy with him. You and I are over. We will never get back together. You have to move on Marmaduke."  
  
He pushed past the other boy, and quickly walked down the hallway towards the history classroom, hoping that Moose wouldn't follow him. He was lucky, his ex didn't come after him.  
  
In history, Betty sat next to Kevin and kept on questioning him about his plan with Joaquin. Kevin only gave short answers, not wanting anyone to overhear what they were discussing. Betty gave up after a few minutes, satisfied with the answers she had gotten. She leaned back in her chair with a smug smirk,  
  
"I'm happy this is working. You'll be rid of Moose in no time, trust me."  
  
Kevin hoped she was right. His little encounter with his ex had been enough to rile him up and make him wish the other boy would just move away or something, so he wouldn't bother Kevin all the time. But things were working fine so far. Moose had been really upset about Kevin's new relationship, and that meant he believed it was real. A few more weeks and everything would be back to normal. Until then Kevin wouldn't be too unhappy about having to pretend Joaquin was his new love interest. Anytime he looked at him, he realized, even more, how good looking the Serpent was. Kevin didn't have feelings for him, but at least he didn't have to force himself to touch the other boy, it came naturally and felt good, so it was a win-win situation, Kevin guessed.  
  
And so he leaned back in his chair too, joining Betty with a pleased grin on his face.  
  
*

One aspect Kevin hadn't really taken into account was his family. He still wasn't used to his new patchwork life, with Sierra and Josie McCoy as his new step-mom and step-sister. Back when it had only been his dad and him, Kevin hadn't needed to worry about things like keeping a boy secret. Tom Keller loved his son and was very supportive, but he was also the sheriff and very busy. He did his best to spend time with Kevin and make sure he had a warm meal every day and a big lunch box, but he wasn't the fastest when it came to catching up with Kevin's love life. So Kevin hadn't really thought about his dad finding out about Joaquin or having to introduce him or anything like that. But of course, things were different now that Josie was living under the same roof.  
  
She had been away on an excursion with the school choir, so she hadn't been there to witness Kevin's and Joaquin's first day as boyfriends at school, but she had already texted Kevin after seeing his post from Pop's. Kevin had just told her to talk later, but Josie had apparently already gotten all the info she needed from someone else, because once Kevin got home, she flung herself at him, hugging him and squealing.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me that you have a new boyfriend! Kevin, I am so happy for you! And he is cute!"  
  
She was so genuinely happy for Kevin that he didn't have the heart to tell her that he was just fake dating Joaquin, so he nodded and smiled and told her the same story he had told anyone else.  
  
"It's still so new. But yes we are together, and you are right, he is cute!"  
  
The buzzing of his phone interrupted them. It was a text from Joaquin.  
  
_"How was I?"_  
  
Kevin grinned and quickly texted back:  
  
_"You were great! Thank you."_

Josie watched him and laughed,  
  
"Aww, did your boyfriend text you? Does he already miss you? You guys are so sweet."  
  
Kevin smiled at her and nodded. It actually felt nice to get so much support, and he decided that he would keep it this way, let Josie think this was the real thing. What he didn't expect though was that Josie would bring it up at dinner.  
  
"Will you introduce me to Joaquin tomorrow?"  
  
She asked innocently while handing Kevin the plate with vegetables, making him almost drop it. Tom and Sierra both turned to look at him in surprise and Tom smiled softly,  
  
"Who is Joaquin?"

Kevin's heart leapt to his throat. He didn't want his dad involved and asking a thousand questions about this mysterious boy in his son's life, but before Kevin could say anything, Josie already blurted out:

"He's Kevin's new boyfriend."  
  
"Josie! Stop it!"  
  
Kevin slammed the plate with vegetables down in front of him, causing several broccoli to tumble onto the table. He glared at his step-sister, who at least looked a tiny bit guilty now and mumbled,  
  
"Oops.. sorry."  
  
But it was already out, and now Kevin watched in dawning horror as the smile on his dad's face grew wider and his gaze bored into Kevin's,  
  
"But that's nothing to be ashamed of, son. I am so happy to hear that you have someone new. Have I ever met him? You should bring him over some time so we can get to know him."  
  
Kevin took a deep breath. Of course, this had to happen. He was glad that his dad was so supportive and always welcomed potential love interests with open arms, but right now he would have given the world for Tom Keller to just be disinterested in his son's love life and ignore the topic.  
  
"I don't think you know him, dad."  
  
His mind added not helpful at all "_or maybe you arrested him once while he did some illegal stuff for the Serpents, who knows? Would be fun!"_  
  
Before his dad could say anything else or ask more questions, Kevin added quickly,  
  
"Joaquin is pretty busy with school at the moment, though, so we don't have much time together. I guess you have to wait a bit until you meet him."  
  
He decided to change the topic and asked Josie about her excursion, which led to her talking for several minutes, so Kevin was off the hook for now.  
  
He remembered later on when he was already in his room watching tv that he had to ask Josie a favor for Joaquin. He reluctantly crawled out of bed and went over to her room. The door was ajar and Kevin could see Josie sitting on her couch, already in her pj's, a notebook sitting on her lap and her singing softly. He smiled and knocked on the doorframe. Josie looked up from her notebook and waved him in,  
  
"Come in, I am working on some song lyrics, but I am stuck. I could use a little distraction."

Kevin sat down next to her on her couch and for several minutes listened to her sing and added some input. He had already forgiven her for the earlier inconvenience at dinner. Usually, they got along great. They both had been upset at first about their parents getting together and leaving their first spouses, but soon they had bonded over that fact and now they were inseparable. For a moment Kevin felt bad about lying to Josie about the whole Joaquin thing, but he guessed it would only make things worse if he told her now and so he decided to just continue with his fake story.

"I have something to ask of you. Joaquin would love to join the Bulldogs. He used to play football at his old school, and he wants to get back on a team..."

He trailed off, watching Josie for her reaction. She raised an eyebrow,

"And so you thought you could ask your sister to ask her boyfriend if he would let your boy join?"  
  
"Basically, yes."  
  
"Ok."  
  
Kevin was caught off guard. Usually, he and Josie fell into their routine where they debated about things like that for hours and one favor called for another one in return.  
  
"Um, ok?"  
  
"Yes. You were so upset after that break up with Moose and the way Moose was bothering you, it's so nice to see you happy again with someone new. So yes. I will make sure Joaquin gets on the team."  
  
Kevin hugged his step-sister tightly, gently stroking her back, before pulling away with a big smile,

"You are the best, Josephine! Thank you!"

He stayed a while longer in Josie's room, listening to her sing before he went back to his room to snuggle under his blanket and watch tv and send one last text to Joaquin:

_"Josie will get you on the football team. Congrats! Just don't turn out like the last Bulldog I dated."_  
  
He didn't wait for a reply but turned off his tv and drifted off to sleep, dreaming about Bulldogs and the school choir and Moose and Joaquin battling over Kevin until Kevin had enough and knocked Moose out with a football to the head and then ran away with Joaquin while Josie was singing some dramatic song about love overcoming every obstacle.


	3. It's just part of the plan, right?

The next week went by just like their first day of fake-dating had. They made sure to hold hands whenever they could and spend lunch break together. They hugged many times, making everyone believe they were in love.

Joaquin got his promised spot on the football team after Reggie had invited him to train with them for a day. It had caused a little confrontation between Joaquin and Moose in the locker room, but from what Kevin had heard, Archie and Reggie had taken Joaquin's side immediately and told Moose to shut up because Joaquin really deserved to be on the team.

It was true, Kevin had to admit that. His job of playing the proud boyfriend included going to Joaquin's first official practice, and what he saw convinced him that the Serpent really was good at football and seemed to put his whole heart into it. Kevin didn't know why he was surprised, but somehow he hadn't really been able to imagine Joaquin enjoying football and being invested in it like that.

It made Kevin realize that he knew absolutely nothing about the guy he was dating. And so he decided that they should get to know each other, in case someone asked questions. This led to Kevin telling Joaquin to visit him at home when his dad was working, and after one raised eyebrow, Joaquin nodded and agreed.

Joaquin looked out of place in Kevin's room. He was sitting slightly uncomfortably on Kevin's bed, with his leather jacket and black ripped jeans, ratty old boots and his old backpack with too many holes in it.

Kevin's room was like himself, tidy, neat, a bit old fashioned, with lots of family pictures and childhood memories. Various trophies and medals from wrestling and other activities rested around on shelves, and the walls were decorated with musical posters next to army merch which Kevin had gotten from his mom. Josie had teased him about his room, told him to get something more modern and use some lighter colors, but Kevin couldn't bring himself to care. His room always reminded him of his mom, and so he refused to change it. But now he really felt a bit self-conscious about it, when that cool Serpent was sitting there and looking around with his big blue eyes taking everything in.

"It's a bit small, I know..."

He began, but he stopped talking when he remembered that Joaquin lived in a trailer. He was used to smaller rooms than Kevin's.

"No, I think it's perfect, looks very comfy. Chill Preppy, everything is fine. So what did you order me here for?"

"I didn't order you..."

"Yes, you did. You are a really bossy boyfriend."

Kevin fixed him with a frown for a long moment, unsure whether this was a joke or not. He could never really tell with Joaquin. It was driving him insane. There was something unnerving about the Serpent. He made Kevin forget what he had been about to say, made him stumble over his words and act like an incompetent fool sometimes. Kevin had to shake his head to clear his mind before he even recalled why he had asked Joaquin, asked him very politely, to come here.

"We have to learn some basics about each other. Like what's your favorite color and stuff like that."

Joaquin rolled his eyes.

"No one is going to interrogate us in separate rooms to check if we know each other's favorite things."

Kevin just kept on talking, ignoring Joaquin.

"My favorite colors are green and red, I like coffee with milk and two spoons of sugar, my favorite food is burgers and fries at Pop's, I usually go to bed early, but I always have to watch TV before falling asleep..."

"Stop it, I won't be able to remember all that. And it's not important, trust me. No one will ask about those things. They care about other things much more."

Kevin looked at Joaquin, already getting pretty annoyed with the Serpent. He hated it when people interrupted him. His plan was good, and he didn't want Joaquin to mess it up by not listening. He sighed, and asked in a slightly too loud voice,

"And what things?"

Joaquin smirked that dangerous little smirk of his and got up from the bed slowly, his gaze never leaving Kevin's. It made Kevin gulp hard and his eyes widen, fearing that now he would, after all, get murdered for messing with a gang member. He was unable to move and just watched as Joaquin crossed the few steps to Kevin's chair. But Joaquin didn't yell at him or threaten him or press a knife to Kevin's throat. All he did was to sit down on Kevin's lap, straddling him and linking his hands behind Kevin's neck, his smirk still on his face.

For a second, relief washed over Kevin. He wasn't in danger. But then Joaquin shifted around on Kevin's lap, trying to get a comfortable position and Kevin realized that maybe this was much more dangerous than anything else Joaquin could do. His hands grabbed Joaquin's hips, making him stop moving before things got awkward, and Kevin's body reacted to the sensation of someone rubbing against his crotch repeatedly. He lifted his head to blink at Joaquin and asked in a slightly panicky voice:

"Wh.. what are you doing?"

Joaquin looked so smug. It made Kevin want to push him off his lap.

"Just showing you what people really are interested in. They only want to see us touching each other and being affectionate, that is the only thing that counts."

Kevin told himself that it was just the fact that he hadn't been prepared for Joaquin to suddenly sit on his lap, but somehow his hands stayed on Joaquin's hips, and Kevin didn't try to push Joaquin away. Now that Joaquin wasn't grinding on him anymore, he actually liked to have the other boy on his lap. Joaquin's weight on him felt nice, really nice.

But that little moment didn't last long. Joaquin chuckled softly, let go of Kevin, and got up again to walk over to the window and look outside.

"A nice big tree right in front of your room. That's good to know. I can tell my friends that I was in your room for a hot making out session when your dad came home and I had to leave through the window and climb down the tree. That makes a good story."

He looked over his shoulder at Kevin with a little playful smile on his lips. The sunlight that was streaming in through the window made his hair look more brown than black, and his eyes seemed even lighter than usual, making him look almost unreal, like some beautiful vampire or angel or some other mythical creature that was sent here to seduce Kevin.

Kevin didn't like to admit it, but he was a little disappointed that Joaquin wasn't sitting on his lap anymore. The thought upset him. He had to get a grip on himself. Maybe it had been a bad idea to choose such a pretty boy for fake-dating. His inner turmoil seemed to be apparent because Joaquin looked at him with a confused expression and inquired,

"Everything ok with you Preppy?"

Kevin put on a bright smile, probably looking just as fake as he felt it was and nodded enthusiastically.

"Sure. I like your little story about the tree."

Joaquin laughed softly and let go of the curtain to walk back over to Kevin and patted his shoulder.

"Great. And by the way, my favorite colors are black and blue, and I like my coffee with just a bit of sugar and milk, I love pizza, and I go to bed pretty late, but I also need the TV to fall asleep."

His hand stayed on Kevin's shoulder for a moment longer, and then he pulled it away and shoved it into the pocket of his leather jacket while smiling at Kevin. He didn't look intimidating anymore, and Kevin felt himself relax. Now that Joaquin wasn't acting like he was about to rip the clothes off him, Kevin was beginning to feel more comfortable again. And the best thing was that he had gotten his answers after all. Maybe he was more in control than he had thought. He chuckled softly and cocked his head, watching Joaquin thoughtfully.

"Hey, you know what? I think we should go to Pop's again, share some fries and a milkshake. Hold hands on the table."

Joaquin agreed, and they left together for Pop's, where they ran into Archie and Veronica and joined them at a table, making it look like a double date, which was perfect for Kevin's plan. And Joaquin was a good little snake and held Kevin's hand and fed him some fries, making them look like the sweetest couple ever. Things got slightly awkward for a moment when Joaquin reached out to wipe some cream off the side of Kevin's lips with his thumb, but Veronica's comment about them being cute was worth it.

At school, things were looking great too. Everybody believed without a doubt that Kevin and Joaquin were together. Kevin went to Joaquin's football training, Joaquin came to Kevin's wrestling training. They were seen together all the time, holding hands, hugging, and whispering to each other.

And then Joaquin repeated what he had done in Kevin's room only a few days ago and slipped onto Kevin's lap when he spotted Moose walking into the student lounge. Kevin was surprised at first, but his arms automatically went around Joaquin's waist, as if it was the most natural thing to do. And it felt good to have Joaquin back on his lap, he had to admit that.

Joaquin was smiling at him lovingly, playing the smitten boyfriend. He looked cute like that, and Kevin couldn't help but hold him tighter and smile back at him while his hands caressed Joaquin's waist softly. He felt Joaquin's hair tickle his ear a bit when the other boy leaned down to whisper to him,

"Good job. Moose looks like he wants to puke all over the place."

It made Kevin laugh softly and turn his head to beam at Joaquin happily. He caught Betty's gaze across from him, and she raised an eyebrow questioningly, looking slightly alarmed. Kevin just grinned at her and shrugged.

But Betty, of course, didn't let it go. She called him that afternoon.

"Kev, what was that today with Joaquin? He was sitting on your lap! Is there something going on between the two of you for real?"

"No, that was just part of the plan. He is just thorough."

Kevin tried to act unbothered. Part of him knew that she was right though. It didn't feel so fake when someone was sitting on your lap and you held them in your arms.

"Well, excuse me, but to me, it looked as if you both enjoyed it a lot...and that would be ok! I just mean that maybe there could be something between you."

"I don't know... Joaquin isn't the type of guy I'm into ok? He's so smug all the time, and I feel like he's making fun of me, and at the same time, I am still scared that he will stab me one day or something."

They were stupid reasons, and Kevin knew it, but he just wanted Betty to stop saying things like that. It made him feel weird. He brushed her off, but the truth was that it had really felt good to have Joaquin all over him during the last week. Kevin had enjoyed it. But he guessed it was normal to like hugs and holding hands, physical contact. He didn't know what he felt towards his fake boyfriend, and he didn't really want to contemplate it too much. Joaquin was charming and funny, and yes, of course, he was hot. But Kevin definitely didn't have a crush! Joaquin was still from the wrong side of town, still a gang member and not someone Kevin really wanted to let get too close to him.

His body reacted to Joaquin, sure. But everything else was purely business.


End file.
